Costa Rica Family Experience - 9 day Adventure

• Get up to $90 cash back per person when you book with us
• 9-day tour of Costa Rica, specifically designed for families with children
• 8 nights quality, family-friendly accommodation, with good locations & facilities
• 8 breakfasts & 1 lunch
• A mix of transport throughout the tour, including private vehicle, boat & walking
• Tortilla making and local lunch, La Fortuna
• Kayaking and paddle-boarding, La Fortuna
• A guided cloud forest night walk, Monteverde
• A guided hike in Manuel Antonio National Park
• Services of a locally-based CEO Chief Experience Officers to guide you through this exciting adventure
• Arrival transfers from the airport to your hotel
• Departs from the meeting point at Radisson San Jose-Costa Rica, Central Street & 3rd-15th Avenue, San Jose (meeting location may change, please check your final documents for the confirmed location)

• Some meals – Allow USD380-495 for meals not included.
• Optional activities

A holiday with the family is always a pleasure, and when the tour is taken to Costa Rica, then it is pure bliss. It's a wonderful destination to lose yourself in the lap of nature and relax. Costa Rica may be small, but it offers big adventures. 

Plus, nothing brings learning to life like real-world experience. This week-long trip’s engaging expedition gives kids an education in biology and ecology that can't be found in a textbook. Here, spend the days (and nights!) studying the flora and fauna that inhabit the cloud forest and Manuel Antonio National Park. Elsewhere, get in touch with the land by rappelling, rafting, swimming, horseback riding, and even surfing all over it. Science + gym? You do the math.

Itinerary

You'll hit the volcanoes, a cloud forest, and both of the incredible coasts. Chill out on white-sand beaches and explore pristine wildlife reserves. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, teeming with wildlife, including spider monkeys and quetzal birds.

This trip is designed for parents and children to enjoy together, and you will be travelling as part of a group of families with other children. It's the ideal way for everyone to make new friends while exploring a new country.

Day 1 – San Jose

On Day 1, you can arrive any time in San Jose, and a representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the joining point hotel. There are no planned activities, so check into your hotel and enjoy the city.

Amid the hustle and bustle of this busy capital, San Jose has beautiful parks, museums and an ornate National Theatre. Start your exploration of the city in the central plaza. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere. 

Day 2 – San Jose to La Fortuna

Set off from the capital and enjoy the countryside of the Central Valley. Stop for a tortilla-making lesson, along with a typical Tico lunch. Grind the corn, mix the “masa” (dough) into balls, flatten into circles, and then cook them up on a wood-burning stove. Afterwards, dig into a tasty “Casado” – a typical Costa Rican dish including black beans and plantains – complete with your own hand-made tortillas.

A 3 hr van trip brings you to La Fortuna, near the base of the spectacular Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna is a great base for active adventures. Upon arrival, there's time to relax in the hot springs that are heated by the volcano's lava.

During your stay in La Fortuna, there is a wide selection of optional activities sure to please every member of the family. From river rafting to rappelling down waterfalls to floating along the canals of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge in search of caiman, there is no excuse to be bored. Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle. 

Day 3 – La Fortuna

After breakfast, take to Lake Arenal for a morning of included stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. Half the group will start by kayaking and switch to SUP mid-way through, and vice versa. Get ready to be wowed by beauty in every direction. Admire Arenal Volcano as you paddle over the blue-green waters of Lake Arenal, Central America’s second-largest lake. Scan the shores for more than 300 species of birds, listen for howler monkeys and fish for sharp-toothed rainbow bass. Take time to float and soak in the stunning scenery of the rolling hills, secret coves and sky that stretches forever.

Then, the afternoon is free to spend as you wish, joining optional activities such as a Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge tour, whitewater rafting, or La Fortuna swimming.

Day 4 – La Fortuna to Monteverde 

From La Fortuna, make your way first by boat, then by van up the rough mountain roads to reach the fresh misty air of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Spend two days exploring the community and nearby forest, truly a bird lover’s paradise.  

In the evening, join a naturalist guide for a 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr tour in the cloud forest after dark. Learn more about the habits of the area's nocturnal wildlife, including mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians, and keep your eyes and ears open on this slow-paced walk. You never know what you might see; it depends on the day and your luck. 

Day 5 – Monteverde 

Enjoy a free day in this lush cloud forest region. There's plenty to see and do in Monteverde, so feel free to relax or try optional activities like zip-lining, visiting the hanging bridges, and horseback riding, Monteverde Coffee Plantation tour, birdwatching, or Santa Elena Cloud Forest guided tour (own expense). Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask. 

Day 6 – Monteverde to Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio National Park offers excellent hiking, spectacular views, and abundant wildlife viewing. An included hike goes deep into the park to explore everything that can be found here. Enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches and discover why the warm turquoise water is ideal for swimming, fishing, kayaking, boogie boarding, sailing or surfing, the perfect finale to an exciting family adventure. Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Day 7 – Manuel Antonio 

Enjoy a free day for several optional activities like mangrove kayaking, surf lessons, a sunset catamaran tour, or take some time to relax on the beach. 

Day 8 – Manuel Antonio to San Jose 

After one final morning to soak up the sun on the beach in Manuel Antonio, return to San Jose and have time to enjoy a final evening together with your group and new friends. 

Day 9 – San Jose

With a head full of memories and adventures your kids will be talking about for years to come, your tour has come to an end, and you're free to depart at any time. 

Where we Visit:

• San Jose
• La Fortuna
• Monteverde
• Manuel Antonio

• Family adventures are designed for groups travelling with children between the ages of 6 and 17. Your group must have a child in order to book a Family tour
• The minimum age is 6 years, & an adult over the age of 18 years must accompany each child under the age of 18 years
• While it is The Operator's intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary, and on occasion, it may be necessary or desirable to make alterations
• Costa Rica will not be allowing anyone to enter the country without proof of a departure ticket
• Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate in this trip. You will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance has been sighted by your CEO, who will take note of your insurance details
• All guests must complete & sign a waiver of liability

You may cancel your booking by notifying the Tour Operator. Cancellation fees, if any, will be determined with reference to the date on which notice of cancellation is received by the Tour Operator and are expressed as a percentage of the total price paid for the cancelled Tour, product or service (excluding any insurance products).

Cancellation of a Tour:

• Cancellation received 60 days or more before departure of first product or service in relevant booking: Lifetime Deposit will be held by the Tour Operator in accordance with these Terms, the remainder of the payments made to the Tour Operator in respect of the cancelled product will be refunded
• Cancellation received 30-59 days before departure of first product or service in relevant booking: Lifetime Deposit will be held by the Tour Operator in accordance with these Terms, an amount equal to 50% of the remainder of the payments made to the Tour Operator in respect of the cancelled Tour will be refunded
• Cancellation less than 30 days before departure of first product or service in relevant booking: Lifetime Deposit will be held by the Tour Operator in accordance with these Terms, and no further refund will be payable